The present invention relates to swimming pools, and in particular to a prefabricated or modularized swimming pool construction.
Removable swimming pools have become increasingly popular for use with private homes, as a result of their reduced cost, flexible usage, and pleasant, permanent-like appearance. Such pools are of a partially-in-ground design, and include a plurality of relatively short side wall panels, and deck panels which are prefabricated and interconnected to fashion a frame for supporting a flexible, imperforate liner in a depression formed in the ground. The deck and side wall panels support the liner in a predetermined contour, which in turn forms the water retaining reservoir.
The liner for removable swimming pools preferably extends above the water line of the pool, so as to form a reliable, water-tight design. However, these chemicals, such as chlorine, and the like, which are added to the swimming pool water to treat the same, tend to cause the liner to deteriorate very quickly at that portion of the liner which extends below the deck panels and above the water line. This portion of the liner is continually wetted by the chemically-treated pool water, and is directly exposed to both the sunlight and the air, thereby embrittling the liner and causing it to crack. Further, this exposed upper portion of the liner is particularly susceptible to inadvertent damage from physical impact, such as that caused by bathers as they grasp the side of the pool and/or push off from the side of the pool, as well as impact with floating toys, skimming tools, and other such objects. The combination of the above noted factors frequently causes the pool liner to fail prematurely at the exposed upper portion, thereby requiring a costly and time-consuming repair.